Thursday, August 30, 2012

Today is a momentous occasion for Tinfoil Tiaras, its my two year blog-aversary! I started this blog fresh out of University when I was working as an Executive Assistant/Corporate Event Planner and bored out of my mind. I thought starting a fashion blog would be a great way of injecting some creativity into my mundane routine. My first post was as wordy as a novel and two years later I'm still writing lots but am also showcasing my daily outfits, in hopes of enlightening others to the world of affordable style (the majority of my outfits cost less than $50, head to toe!) In fact #OOTD (or outfit of the day for those of you who don't speak in tweets) have become so addictive, even outfits that aren't highlighted on my blog are stored on my Flickr page (proof that I get dressed every single day, imagine!)

Since Tinfoil Tiaras is turning two, I'm showing my festive side by featuring two outfits today! The first ensemble is one I wore this past weekend (the skirt is a pale aqua colour which didn't photograph too well) & the second is a look I wore to work (sleeves become optional when you work in a basement office without air conditioning!) Both outfits encompass thrifted elements so I'm linking up to Coffee & Cardigan's Thrifter Thursday!

If I had to choose a favourite post from the past two years it would have to be loving my body, imperfections and all because it's honest and open and explains how I became the lady I am today.

I wouldn't be as passionate about blogging without all the support from my readers, your comments make me smile, giggle (and sometimes even blush!) so thank you, thank you! Here's to many more blog-aversaries!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

This past weekend my man's cousin got married and it was the perfect excuse to introduce this flirty E-Bay number to the world (or at least to the Notre Dame basilica wedding goers). I love weddings but one of their chosen readings rubbed me the wrong way, "A silent wife is a gift from God." Talk about unromantic patriarchy (although is there really such a thing as romantic patriarchy?) After the reading I simply turned to my man and said "Sorry babe, looks like God misplaced your gift, better luck next time!"

For the reception I changed into my strapless mermaid dress that I've been saving for a special event (even though I worried I would be far too overdressed like when I wore a black tie ensemble to a casual dinner with jean wearers!) We were having so much fun watching the Arabic belly dancers & sword fighters we forgot to take better photos so you'll just have to imagine my aquatic creature esque gown. I've never had so much fun at a wedding (I'd like to thank the open bar for my liveliness...) and was even teaching a 70-something man how to Zumba dance!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Top (worn like this)- Marshalls; Skirt, Shoes, Belt, Earrings & Rings- Thrifted; Necklace- RW&COAfter a week of wearing nothing but black & white I was ready to wear the most colourful outfit I could conjure up (that was still work appropriate which is always the challenge). I decided to showcase my $2 skirt that I recently thrifted with my versatile striped top for an ensemble that is both mix & match.

No that's not a white prison yard behind me, it's the atrocious eyesore that lines the perimeter of our new home! Since replacing fences is quite costly, we are thinking of planting hedges in front for added privacy and to improve the aesthetics (because as much as we love the house, the fence was almost enough to deter us from buying it in the first place!) I guess you could say we judge a house by its fence...

I feel like a starburst (the galaxy version) in this outfit (Mmm now I'm craving Starburst candies, too bad they're only veggie friendly in the UK, dratted gelatin you ruin all my fun!)

Monday, August 27, 2012

This time last year I was sipping Mai Tai's on Oahu's pristine beaches without a care in the world. This summer I am a bundle of stress & nerves with the recent house move and increased professional demands and haven't set foot on a beach (not even a local one) in over 4 months. To bring back the feelings of sun, surf & sand I decided to wear my Kukui nuts necklace from the Hawaiian Luau while sipping mango wine spritzers on my front porch. I must be getting quite good at visualization techniques because in my mind the grass transformed into turqouise waters, my meowing cats became playful dolphins and I was dating Jason Momoa!

My black & white week is now over because I've been having colour withdrawals! I have a bright outfit planned for tomorrow so bring your sunglasses!﻿

Thursday, August 23, 2012

My previous condo didn't get a lot of sun and faced a private courtyard so window coverings weren't necessary. However our new house has many windows which let in a lot of light (which I love!) and faces a busy street so when we moved in, curtains were one of our top priorities. All this was before we knew how stressful curtain shopping can be... After numerous visits to various retailers; hundreds (thousands? gosh I hope not, maybe I should add up the receipts again!) of dollars spent (clearly the curtain industry is quite lucrative!) and moments of tension with my designer assistant (aka my best friend) & sales associates, curtains were finally purchased and installed. Let's just say that Bed, Bath & Beyond no longer has ikat drapery because I got a little crazed about the pattern and bought out Ottawa's stock! I will be happy to never buy another curtain panel and will ensure that the next house I buy has windows that are exactly 54" wide & 84" long so I can keep the ikats till death do us part!

Blurry photos courtesy of my cheap point & shoot. Unfortunately I haven't yet unearthed my Canon Rebel's battery charger in the piles of moving boxes waiting to be unpacked (such a daunting task!) So in the meantime let's just pretend that these pictures are ethereal and artistic!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

I love polka dots and it's no surprise because I'm a little dotty myself! If eccentricity is a gene, then I inherited it in spades! Those who know me well have had the pleasure of meeting kooky Emily, my favourite part of my personality!

It's day two of my black & white challenge and the only colours I see are my hot pink finger nails, unruly greenery (this whole backyard thing is new to me after years of living in high-rises) and ombré (aka don't dye your roots for two years) hair.

Why be a cookie cutter version of someone else when you can be your fabulous, eccentric self! Are you dotty too?

Monday, August 20, 2012

Here's photographic proof that I dress up for everyday chores, even when going to buy a new toilet (there's something disconcerting about using the same facilities that the previous owners had been using for 3 decades!) Need more evidence? I wore an animal print skirt and pink heels to the popular home improvement retailer in my original Home Depot chic post!In High School I loved watching "What Not to Wear" and one of my biggest takeaways from Stacy London was that going grocery shopping is not an excuse to wear your ripped sweatpants and stained tee. You should still make an effort because you're out in public and you never know who you're going to run into. Plus when it comes to dressing comfortably, I find dresses more cozy than jeans (which are too restricting in my opinion!)

Friday, August 17, 2012

This thrifted chapeau is bucket-hat-meets-fedora and as soon as I put it on my head, my man said I looked like Debbie Gibson. She was a popular singer in the 80s (who I'd never heard of before because I was just a wee baby at the time), and besides her vocal chords she was known for her sassy black hat (kind of like this one). Although I don't remember anything about the 80s, it's fun to see some of the era's fashion staples come back in style. My favourite looks from the 80s are legwarmers, shoulder pads & fashion leggings. 80s styles I hope to never see again? Smiley face t-shirts, high top sneakers & scrunchies (see Berger, Carrie's not the only one who thinks scrunchies are a fashion atrocity!)

Thursday, August 16, 2012

In High School I drove a '97 deep purple Saturn (a now discontinued brand). A week after getting my driver's license (of which I failed the first test due to 3 dangerous acts, a story for another time), my sister and I were going shopping for Christmas gifts. Equal parts showing off; not paying attention and an icy winter driveway resulted in me reversing the car into the fire hydrant at the end of our driveway. My Dad immediately came running out of the house and was quite calm about the incident, he just wanted to make sure we were ok. He bought duct tape to seal the damage to the driver side door (nothing like a DIY car repair!) and it worked like a charm, except the driver's door never properly shut again so you were exposed to the elements; come rain, snow, wind or hail! Regardless, I spent a blissful two years driving my ghetto fabulous Saturn, and it was even my ride to senior prom (you can bet the limo renters were jealous!)

Eight years later and I've significantly updated my wheels. My man always wanted to drive an upscale car so after careful deliberation we chose a black Audi A4 which I love zipping around town in.

We may drive an Audi but this week was all about Mercedes Benz when my man and I attended the Mercedes Benz StartUp semi-final fashion show on Tuesday night. StartUp is a national competition that provides emerging Canadian fashion designers with mentorship and support. Caitlin Power's futuristic collection & Christopher Bate's menswear designs won them both a place in the finals and I look forward to seeing more of their Canadian talent in the future.

Two sexy rides ;)

Are you a car lover? (althoughhopefully not to this extreme!)What's your favourite type of auto?